Chessmatch
by Sachelarot
Summary: A 'talented' butler has been causing quite a commotion, and lured by the possibility that it could be one of Ashe and Angela's angelic associates, Ciel and Sebastian go to investigate the Trancy Household.
1. Prologue: First Move

Another Kuroshitsuji fanfiction. I do not own any of these characters, and they belong to their rightful owners. I repeat; though I take untold liberties with the material and their characters, this is all strictly fiction, and they properly belong to Yana Toboso and her affiliates in the production of Kuroshitsuji.

So, with the announcement of the second season, and the premiere of the trailer featuring the two new main characters of Kuroshitsuji II, I found more inspiration to write another little fantasy continuum of this amazing series, featuring a 'what if' scenario starring the main characters of Kuroshitsuji I and II meeting. I do realize I take a lot of liberties with the little-known material, but I figure that as long as I'm having fun, that I should share my musings! I hope you enjoy it.

As warning to younger audiences beneath 18, mature scenes may occur as story progresses.

**-----**

**C H E S S M A T C H**

**Prologue**

**First Move**

Within a grand decorated study, basked in the afternoon glow of the 1:00 sun, a boy reclined within a leatherbacked chair, reading through a paper. Though he was of a young age, he studied the contents of the gazette closely. Knowledge was valuable, especially for one of his status, and he was on a mission, scouring for any signs of calamity that warranted his attention. Any sign of a mystery that could lead him an extra step down the path to his personal vengeance could be hidden within the columns, and as his single sapphire eye glanced over a particular story concerning bizzare events at a noble's party, he paused, raising his eyebrow slightly in scrutiny as he glossed over the words: "The previously unfortunate Trancy family is quite fortunate to possess such a amazingly talented butler."

He raised one curved finger to his mouth, tapping his bottom lip pensively as he continued to read the article. Folding the paper up, he netted his fingers, rested them against his stomach, and swiveled his chair around to look out the large bay window.

_An amazing butler?_  
**  
**Normally, he wouldn't concern himself with such things, but with the recent proof that the supernatural denizens of the underworld favored such positions of service in order to establish contracts without attracting unwanted attention, he couldn't help but feel curious about this report. A talented butler worthy of note within a public paper had to possess above and beyond abilities to capture the attention of the reporters' pens. Could it be another angel, like Ashe? If so, it was definitely worth inspection. However, there was a chance that the Trancy's butler was an unusual being, like Agni; the butler and bodyguard belonging to the Indian Prince Soma, who possessed the power of a god within his hand. Or perhaps, there was the possibility that this unusual butler was in fact...

As if the devil had read his thoughts, he heard the latch of the door click, and the hinges squeal as the door behind him swung open. Turning around, he saw the ebony clad butler enter the room, wheeling in a silver tea cart. His single eye narrowed slightly, as he scoffed and turned back to the window.

"Young master," that voice, smooth as silk and golden as honey, laced with a fine lining of condescension, irked Ciel just enough to coax an annoyed scowl to appear upon his lips, "I've brought your afternoon tea. There's black tea with lemon and honey, and an almond tart."

Though Ciel didn't bother to turn around as he heard the sound of the tray approach and the sound of plates being set upon the desktop, he could feel his stomach rumble slightly with anticipation of the welcome treat. However, he refused to show weakness in front of the demon, even one such as hunger. He heard the sound of Sebastian's clothes, rustling with every movement, and when they paused for a moment, Ciel could envision him waiting paitently for any other requests from his master.

"Have you seen the paper today, Sebastian?" Ciel asked.

"Unfortunately, I have not," the demon replied, "I have been preoccupied with other activities. Should I have?"

"I wouldn't have mentioned it, if I was being light about the matter," Ciel said, turning around and propping his elbows up on the tabletop, pointing at the discarded article, "Do you know of the Trancy family?"

"In regards to what, sir?" Sebastian inquired.

"In this article, it describes a strange occurance in which the Trancy family butler acted in a way that was better described as 'inhuman'," Ciel said, tapping his finger against the paper, "I'm quite curious just what that entails."

"Hmm," Sebastian reached forward, taking the offered gazette into his hands, scarlet eyes flicking over the words quickly.

"I want more information about this family," Ciel said, "I want to know about who the head of the family is, who this butler is, and just how 'amazing' he may be. I want to know what he is and why he's employed there."

Sebastian smiled slightly, "I will do what I can to investigate this matter for you."

"Good," Ciel said, taking a silver fork into his hand and delving it into the tart, tearing away a large portion, "If it's one of Ashe's associates, I want it's wings torn off before he has a chance to stretch them."

"Yes, my lord," the demon pressed his hand against his heart, and bowed deeply, as his master smirked slightly and bit into his treat with vigor.

* * *

An idea I was toying with for a while.

Anyway, for those of you who don't know, I like to dabble in this series' continuums. This one was a thought of "what would it be like if Ciel and Sebastian met Alois and Claude?"

(It's a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, since I really love writing for Ciel and Sebastian, and I have a new fondness for the new master, Alois. Here's my attempt to write something that includes him.)

Anyway, very short prologue.

This is just a little side project while I'm busy working on my major project: "His Butler; My Master". Something that's a little more light, I suppose.


	2. Chapter 1: Of Roses on Black Paper

Another Kuroshitsuji fanfiction. I do not own any of these characters, and they belong to their rightful owners. I repeat; though I take untold liberties with the material and their characters, this is all strictly fiction, and they properly belong to Yana Toboso and her affiliates in the production of Kuroshitsuji.

So, with the announcement of the second season, and the premiere of the trailer featuring the two new main characters of Kuroshitsuji II, I found more inspiration to write another little fantasy continuum of this amazing series, featuring a 'what if' scenario starring the main characters of Kuroshitsuji I and II meeting. I do realize I take a lot of liberties with the little-known material, but I figure that as long as I'm having fun, that I should share my musings! I hope you enjoy it.

As warning to younger audiences beneath 18, mature scenes may occur as story progresses.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Of Roses Upon Black Paper**

Two days had passed since he had requested an investigation of the Trancy family, and still, no information was delivered into his hands. Though it was generally unreasonable to demand a thorough account of every tidbit about a person from hair color to their favorite food on a Wednesday, Ciel was getting horribly impatient with his supernatural butler for making him wait so long. Deciding that Sebastian needed reminding just who was master, he trudged through the perfectly kept gardens, eye patrolling for the inevitable shape of obsidian amongst the green.

Sure enough, he found the butler in the rose garden, reprimanding a rather loud and sobbing Finnian, while holding pinched between his thumb and index a single sickly rose, which hung limp and pathetic, splattered with black and brown spots. Ciel paused, his cane stabbed into the walk as he struck a pose that declared his utmost irritation and disappointment.

After a few minutes of ignorance, which were filled with a subtle tapping of his toe and an impatient drumming of his fingers against his crossed arms, Ciel finally cleared his throat with a less-than-subtle loud cough. Sebastian turned around with a look of mock surprise plastered on his face, which boiled the boy's blood a little and forced him to grumble slightly.

"Oh, I didn't know you were there," Sebastian's voice had a playful tone underneath the sincerity.

"Of course you didn't," Ciel said, before he rolled his shoulders a little to feign relaxation, before he said in a calm manner, "So? What of the investigation I requested?"

"Oh, that," Sebastian turned and handed the rose back to the moping gardener, shooing him back to work, "unfortunately, I seem to have run into a bit of a snag concerning the Trancy family."

"A snag?" Ciel was a child in body, but in mind, he took such impossible words as a sheer mockery of his intelligence, "You expect me to believe that?"

"I wouldn't lie to you," Sebastian said, pressing a hand against his chest, "You commanded me to tell you the truth, remember?"

"Never mind that," Ciel waved his gesture of loyalty aside with irritation, "You can't possibly say that you couldn't find anything on them. They are a noble family. Their business is the business of the world. How could they be cloaked in secrecy?"

"If my lord would pardon my say so," Sebastian's eyes narrowed playfully, "But isn't your family just as cloaked in mystery?"

"That's another matter entirely," Ciel snapped, "how can it be that I employ a demon as my butler, and yet you can't find out anything on just one family?"

"My lord misunderstands," Sebastian said smoothly, turning towards a watering pail that had been left on the workbench beside him, and taking it into his grasp, "I never said I couldn't find anything on the noble Trancy family. I merely stated I ran into a bit of a snag."

"Explain," Ciel barked, as he watched the demonic servant move over to a lovely large white rose bush, and begin sprinkling the water upon it. The boy slowly began to pace back and forth over the gravel pathway, amusing himself slightly by looking down at his shoes and watching them kick the pebbles in a little spray, as he waited patiently for the expected report.

"It seems that the Trancy family was recently victim to a kidnapping of its youngest heir," Sebastian said, setting the watering pail down for a moment to pick up a set of small handheld clippers, "He recently returned home with stories of being kidnapped by fairies."

Ciel paused mid-step, chancing a glance over at Sebastian in hope to see evidence of the obvious joke, but the butler's expression, though amused, did not betray the truth to his statement. He raised his eyebrow in a look of utter disbelief, but the demon smiled slightly and nodded silently in confirmation.

"I do hope they didn't believe such rubbish," Ciel scoffed, returning to his paces, as Sebastian bent down and clipped off a spoilt rosebud from a otherwise elegant specimen.

"It seems that there's speculation," Sebastian said, trimming off unwanted leaves from another bush, "but polite society indulges such tales, especially when they are entertained as a result."

"I hardly find such ridiculous tales as entertaining," Ciel said, pausing before a large rosebush and running his fingers over the silk-soft, pure white petals.

"Young master, please refrain from touching the flowers, they'll spoil from the oils on your fingers," Sebastian protested, coaxing a raised eyebrow on Ciel's behalf, before he continued, "I meant entertaining in another sense. It seems like the heir of the Trancy family has been partial to throwing parties recently to entertain his family's business partners and fellow nobles. The recent activity at such events have been laced with intrigue, primarily because of the elaborate festivities and the impeccable service."

"So, basically," Ciel snapped the rose's stem, and turned his back to it, to much chagrin from the butler, "the only reason they were reported on was because the party was entertaining? That's it?"

"That does seem to be the case," Sebastian went back to tending to his particular rosebush, despite the defiled blossom that lay behind his master, "of course, there was a matter concerning a death defying act that the butler performed. Supposedly the chandelier fell and nearly crushed him, but he avoided it at the last moment with an aerial ease, and then resumed work like normal."

Ciel tapped his chin with his finger, "So, then it's still worth my interest. Who is this heir?"

"Master Alois Trancy," the demon recited, and satisfied with his work, he abandoned the rose to stand up and address his master properly, "blonde, blue eyes, and about similar in age to yourself, young master."

"Is that so?" Ciel couldn't deny that he was intrigued by this information. _Another child making deals with supernatural folk? How could it be that such things were becoming a trend?_ He stroked his chin with his thumb and index, as the butler neared his side.

"That is as much as I could gather about the Trancys," Sebastian said, reaching behind his master and pulling the broken bloom from it's sad position upon the bush, "but since you're so interested in poking around this person's business, would it be helpful for me to suggest that you interview him yourself?"

"Interview?" Ciel glanced up at the butler, who was admiring the dishonored bloom within his hand, "What do you mean? I can't simply show up to his house uninvited. My family has never had cause to meet with the Trancys. Our businesses and investments are apart, and I'm a boy, and from what you're saying, this Alois is an only heir, and a boy as well. What excuse could I have to intrude on them, besides curiosity?"

"Ah," Sebastian's scarlet eyes glanced over at his young master, as his fingertips continued to swivel the rose within his hand slightly so the light caught the beads of dew upon it just so, "Isn't it that time of the year when nobles mingle at such elaborate soirees?"

Ciel watched the twisting rose for a moment, before glancing back up at the demon, "Are you suggesting attending one of their parties?"

"Since you seem so adamant, what better way?" Sebastian asked, "You could get the opportunity to investigate him on a personal level, while you could see for yourself just who this mysterious butler is. Perhaps young master might have a fun time while there?"

Ciel narrowed his eyes slightly, which coaxed a small chuckle from the butler, as he looked back at his subtle entertainment, "Master Alois has a fondness for roses. Particularly scarlet and fuchsia ones."

"How could you possibly know that?" Ciel asked, finding it a little hard to believe that his impeccable butler could not find very much in depth information, yet knew such a useless fact.

"His invitation sports a bouquet of scarlet and fuchsia roses," Sebastian said, matter-of-factly, as he pulled from the recesses of his ebony jacket, a slim black envelope, adorned in ornate gold embossing with a cluster of blossoms framing an empty blank space; most likely a spot for a guest's name or address.

"You've really planned this, didn't you?" Ciel accepted the envelope and opened it, pulling from it's depths a black parchment that read, in lovely gold letters: "_You're invited to attend a regal party, courtesy of the honorable House of Trancy_." He looked up at his demonic cohort, and smirked slightly, "I won't ask how you came upon such a thing, but at least I now have restored confidence in your abilities, Sebastian."

"I'm honored, my lord," Sebastian bowed low, as Ciel tapped the black envelope against his bottom lip pensively, the gears within his head generating with several different scenarios at once.

"Fondness for flowers," Ciel mused, looking back down at the embossing, "elaborate parties, and possessing a strange butler, just what could this person be like?"

"You certainly are showing a lot of interest in Lord Trancy," Sebastian said, in which Ciel detected a hint of mockery in his words, and turned around to shoot a deadly little glare. The demon tilted his head in amusement, "do you have high expectations?"

"Not exactly," Ciel said flatly, "The master is a human; flesh and blood. I'm only interested in the butler."

Sebastian's soft laughter made the boy really contemplate initiating a disciplinary slap across the face for mocking him. However, he just rolled his shoulders and looked back down at the invitation, "However…Alois Trancy. What happened to make you sell your soul, I wonder?"

Sebastian's lips curved into a slight smirk, as he watched his master's back, as the youth contemplated the unknown.

"That is, if he sold his soul," Ciel said, handing the invitation back to the butler, before he began to walk away back towards the house, "For all we know, his butler could be just an acrobat or a clown. Reporters don't know how to write useful articles. Anything can be considered 'spectacular' if they are incapable of imagining it being done by themselves."

"So, are you interested in pursuing this further, young master?" Sebastian inquired.

The youth paused for a moment, before looking back over his shoulder, "Yes. I want to meet this Alois and his 'amazing' staff. Prepare my things for the trip, and for the party."

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian bowed respectfully, as the haughty youth strolled back into the mansion. Looking up once his master was absent, his smile faded a little at the edges, as he glanced down at the invitation lying in his hand.

'_Orders are orders_,' he thought, as he sighed slightly and pocketed the envelope, knowing very well just why his investigation was so limited. What resided over at the Trancy House would prove to be quite a threat, and even though his young master was blissfully unaware of just how daunting his order would prove to be for the pair of them, the power of the contract inscribed upon the demon's flesh compelled him to obey, despite the large dark cloud of uncertainty and warning that lay before them.

* * *

Chapter 1 completed~! ^^ Fairly short, compared to my endless chapters from my other fanfiction, but a nice little change of pace, nonetheless.

Not much really to say here...

I suppose, since I'm always a music nut, that I should include the playlist selection for this mini-fiction.

1. Kill Me, Kiss Me- Hangry and Angry  
2. Sadistic Dance- Hangry and Angry  
3. Fantasia Improptu- Chopin  
4. Don't Say Lazy!- K-ON! Ending  
5. Strawberry Gashes- Jack off Jill  
6. Shake It- Rediscover  
7. Bad Romance- Lady Gaga  
8. Every Me, Every You- Placebo  
9. Gravity- Dresden Dolls  
10. Nine in the Afternoon- Panic! At the Disco  
11. For Your Entertainment- Adam Lambert  
12. Howl's Moving Castle Theme- Howl's Moving Castle  
13. Top Secret- Hangry and Angry  
14. Angelia- Hangry and Angry

Yeah... subject to add... inevitable.


End file.
